Emotional awareness is the ability to recognize and make sense of not just your own emotions, but also those of others. It is a big component of what is referred to as emotional intelligence (EI), which also includes being able to solve problems in life by understanding emotions, such as being able to regulate your own emotions and cheer others up when they are feeling low. Emotional awareness involves two basic abilities: recognizing your moment-to-moment emotional experience and understanding the connection between your feelings and your actions. High levels of emotional awareness mean that you can learn from your feelings quickly, predict emotions in advance, and access more joy and fulfillment. Emotional awareness has been linked to lower levels of social anxiety, better relationships with friends and family, higher self-esteem, and lower levels of depression.